Charlotte's book review

Tuesday, September 19, 2017

Mina Grime is unlucky, unpopular and uncoordinated; until she saves her crush's life on a field trip, changing her High School status from loser to hero overnight. But with her new found fame brings misfortune in the form of an old family curse come to light. For Mina is descended from the Brothers Grimm and has inherited all of their unfinished fairy tale business. Which includes trying to outwit a powerful Story from making her it's next fairytale victim.To break the fairy tale curse on her family and make these deadly occurrences stop, Mina must finish the tales until the very Grimm end.

Do you know the Grimm Editions of the fairy tales? Do you like a twist in your fairy tales? Do you like a little mystery with your fairy tales? If you said yes to any of the above, you will like this story.

Do you prefer a sweet happily ever after with your fairy tales? Well, you may want to stick with Disney stories.

While this story is not a sweet bed time story, neither is it a story that will bring nightmares to your sleep.

It is a very well thought out, modern day, fresh take on the Grimm Fairy Tales. It is a story of a teenage girl who finds out she and her family aren't what she thought they were. It is a story of family and all they will do to protect each other.

I really enjoy that Mina is not a typical high school teen. She has a little brother that she loves and adores and a mother that she respects and loves. She is being raised by a single mother, with a less than ideal income and never once does she talk bad about her mother. She even finds the best in living above a Chinese restaurant with colorful and funny owners.

This is a book for both teens and adults alike. As a matter of fact, if you get this book, you may as well get all 6. Believe me, you will want to go right to the next story as soon as you finish this one.

I have already purchased the next book and can't wait to crack it open and see what fairy tale Mina has to tackle!

Saturday, September 2, 2017

Jayson McBride loses a bet and loses big, and ends up with a commercial shoot on his ranch for a women’s clothing line. Before he can come to terms with city folk leaving gates open and disrupting his operation, he meets Celine, the woman who runs the show. Damned if she doesn’t piss him off then impress him five minutes later.Celine Northland is a fashion designer with a dynamic new line of clothing—she needs this launch to save her company and herself. She has involved investors, crowd funding, and every other trick up the sleeve she can come up with. She’ll have what she needs to launch if she doesn’t continue to be bled dry by one thing after another.Celine's whole world tips when she meets Jason McBride and she finds herself falling for the cowboy hard and fast. However, Jayson harbors a secret that could rip their relationship apart before it even starts. When Jayson saves Celine’s life, it turns out she just might have saved his.
As always Cheyenne has blown it out of the stable! She has woven a tale of romance, adventure, suspense, heartbreak, and wrapped it up in forever love.

I have had the extreme pleasure of meeting Cheyenne. She is a genuine, down to earth person. There is no pretense or prima dona attitude with her. Her genuinity (yes, this is a real word. I looked it up.) and warmth is conveyed through her characters. And it felt to me like Celine and Jayson are the two characters who convey these traits the best.
With Jayson she has taken what I have determined to be her favorite hero, a drool-worthy cowboy, placed him in her favorite place, an Arizona ranch, and introduced a woman so unique that she could only have been made for him. If I wasn't already married, I would have to move back to Arizona and try to find myself a cowboy rancher just like Jayson!
With Celine she has created a strong yet very vulnerable character. She has achieved something that I feel is almost impossible. She has found the perfect balance of 2 very different traits. Most authors tend to make their character either predominantly strong or vulnerable, but Celine is so equally both that the reader can't help but be pulled into the feelings that Celine experiences.
As a matter of fact, Cheyenne is such a gifted writer that, as embarrassing as it may be, I actually teared up when Celine is told to call Jayson's mother "mom". That feeling of total acceptance is so overwhelming that there is no question about how emotional it makes her.
Celine and Jayson are from 2 very different worlds. She comes from a very cold and sterile family environment while he comes from a clan that is full of love and acceptance. When they meet it isn't quite love at first sight, but there is definitely interest. As they learn more and more about each other, it is easy to see they need each other.
One of the many things I liked about Celine and Jayson's story is it doesn't start out with them at each other's throat and then all of a sudden they are jumping in the sack. No these two are civil and respectful. Both are successful in their own professions, which couldn't be more different, and treat each other in a way that is expected of professional adults.
And the animals! I love how she includes animals as such an integral part of the story. I love how it is so very clear that Jayson's dog Thor is so much more than just a working dog. But it is also very clear how the horses are also so much more than working animals. She projects her love for animals through Jayson and Celine in such a beautiful way.
Another thing I liked is the refreshing way Jayson and Celine's story is more about their story than their sex life. Don't get me wrong, Cheyenne knows her way around a sizzling sex scene and this story is no exception. But there are so many authors out there who create the sex and then try to create a story around it. Not Cheyenne. The sex is a natural progression of the couple's story.
So what DIDN'T I like about this story? Well, the fact that it ended. I fell in love with Jayson and Celine and wished it wouldn't ever end.
This is a definite read! ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

Wednesday, July 5, 2017

Jack Spirelli, paranormal investigator, public debunker of paranormal frauds, and private fixer for the magic-using community has opened his doors.Jack's in a crunch. Since he went pseudo-public with Spirelli Paranormal Investigations, his business has sky-rocketed. Debunking the scum who prey on vulnerable targets makes up half his business now. And the rest of his time? Jack's on speed dial with the Texas Lycan Pack, the Inter-Pack Policing Cooperative gives him an occasional ring, and anything that goes bump in the night might just call him with a job.He needs an assistant, another investigator, and some additional muscle, but maybe the dragon who just walked in and applied will do for now.This volume contains the first three episodes of Season One. Each is a complete stand-alone story.
This is one of the most fun books I have read in a very long time. It has a fresh story line with characters that draw the reader in.

Fresh, fun, intelligent, innovative, and even moments of humor. Worth the read if you don't need a lot of intellectual depth.
I honestly can't wait to read more.

What would you do if you were 18 and told the future of the world is in your hands? Young Areenna of Freemorn is just beginning to discover her powers when she is called to a place from which few ever return.Mikaal of Tolemac, the son of the High King holds a secret so dangerous it could shatter the fabric of the world should it become known.3,000 years after America is destroyed by nuclear war, the inhabitants have evolved, embracing magic and metaphysical warfare. As enemies from across the seas begin to close in, ancient legends come alive, leaving no one safe. The only two who can stop the onset of the darkest evil is the sorceress,Areenna, and Mikaal, the son of the High King of Neveah. With the safety of the world in their hands, and their powers young and erratic, will Mikaal and Areenna find the courage and strength to overcome the impossible, or...
While I enjoyed this book, it was a bit of a slow read for me. It is a perfect mix of past, present, and future. What do I mean by that? Well, post-apocalyptic America is thrown back into a time where there are kings, armies, and no technology but women have supernatural abilities born of the evil brought upon America by the "Dark Ones". Where does the present come into this little world we are introduced to? Well, the Dark Ones are from the Middle East trying to dominate the world, bring everyone under their rule. To be honest, I figured out who the Dark Ones were fairly early on.
The characters can't really be called relateable since we have not lived the life they have (unless you lived in the middle ages), but you can understand where they are coming from.
There are a few puzzles to figure out if you are into delving deeper into the story like I am. I really enjoyed Mr. Wind's choice of names. While most of them sound unique, you only need to look a little deeper to see the "twist" in choosing the names of characters and places.
I have to say, I generally like books that take me in their grip and keep me reading until I reach the end. This book didn't do that, but the intellectual aspects of it did keep me returning to read more.
All in all I liked this book. Not one of my favorites but definitely an interesting read for those more intellectually inclined.

Sunday, June 4, 2017

I was both blessed and honored when Miss Lawson contacted me and offered me a copy of Revolt for review prior to the release date of July 18, 2017.

I have been an avid fan of the Resistance Series since I first read Counteract in 2015.

With Revolt, Miss Lawson wraps up Tommy and Careen's battle against the OCSD. But this time, Tommy isn't just battling the OCSD on the outside, he is battling the damage the OCSD inflicted on Careen while she was captive. But the worst scars aren't the ones you can see, they are the ones no one but Careen can see. Tommy must win Careen over and convince her his love is true.

In her Resistance Series, Miss Lawson has created a glimpse of what could become of our world. She delves deep into the "what if" of total government control. But she also taps in to that human desire to be free.

I love the way Miss Lawson was able to tap into each side. She has the ability to write each side's point of view without mixing the sides up. She also does a great job of showing how greed and the desire for total control is rampant on both sides. But she also delves deep into how love can persevere even when it seems there is no hope.

In Revolt Miss Lawson digs deeper into more characters. She expands on more characters which enhances the story. It isn't just Careen and Tommy's story, it is also the story of Madalyn Davies , Kevin McGraw, Trina Jacobs, Tom Bailey, Jaycee, Mitch Carraway, and Lara Bailey, just to name a few. Miss Lawson tells each character's story with grit, realism, and compassion. She focuses on the human aspect. She exposes the degrees of impact a battle of wills can have on different psyches.

As you can probably tell, I am very impressed with Miss Lawson's ability to dig deep into the "what ifs" of the human condition.

Revolt and the Resistance Series is not for the reader who prefers a light read. They are for the readers who like to think, plot, and delve deep into their inner voice. It is for the reader who likes to think about the "what ifs" of life.

I can honestly say there was nothing about this story that I did not like. Definitely a 5 out of 5 stars!

Revolt is released on 7/18/17. It is available for pre-order.

You can find out more about Tracy Lawson and her Resistance Series at:

Aern's only job is to protect the chosen. The trouble is, she's the key to a prophecy and everyone wants her. Hiding a girl in the center of a secret war is tricky business, but when her sister shows up to take Aern hostage, all bets are off. A slim brunette in borrowed jeans should be the least of his problems, but there's something about Emily he just can't put to rights. And it's not her penchant for using hand tools as weapons or the fact that she seems immune to his sway. Everything about her screams run. But when he discovers she's working toward her own prophecy, he's got no choice but to keep her safe. It might have been easy, if she didn't think she was the chosen's protector. When the opposition descends, their only hope is to stick together, but the truth unravels, and together might prove the biggest complication of them all.
When I read the synopsis, I was really excited that this was currently a free e-book on Amazon (it is still free today 6/4/17). It sounded exciting, full of action, with a good meaty story line. Well, it fell short of my expectations. First of all, it does have a meaty story line that is full of action. But, I spent about a third of the story confused about what was going on and why. Why? Well, Miss Wright jumped right into the action. That in itself isn't always bad. But in this instance, it wasn't a great thing to do. There is no explanations about why things are happening. I honestly stopped at chapter three and scrolled back to the title page to see if I missed any of the story. I didn't.
I started reading the book almost a week after downloading it. I couldn't remember what the synopsis said, but I remembered it sounded exciting to me. At about the 4th chapter, I had to go back and read the synopsis to find out if the main character was male or female and why the characters were running from the one person that was repeatedly named as the bad guy.
BUT, once I did get my bearings, I really enjoyed the story. As I said it is full of action, a few nail biting minutes here and there, and a deep, enthralling story line. There is even a little bit of suspense. There is an excerpt of the next book added at the end of the book. I would definitely read the next book in the series. While this book wraps up Aern and Emily's story, it ends in a bit of a cliff hanger.
Just to put this in perspective, I would give this book a 3 out of 4 stars. If I wasn't so lost in the beginning, I would have given this book an easy 4 out of 5. stars.
Since this is a free e-book on Amazon at this time, I recommend checking it out and deciding for yourself.Bound By Prophecy by Melissa Wright

Tuesday, May 23, 2017

When a meteor storm knocks out the power grid, the supernaturally gifted become pawns in humanity's struggle for survival.The meteor storm wasn’t such a big deal until a comet landed in the middle of the road. Now Darien’s car is wrecked, his sister is bleeding out, and the only medical aid is at the reclusive Serran Academy.Some say the Serrans have blood-bonds with angels. Some say they have surreal mental abilities. Some say the gods grant them elemental powers.But when the Academy is targeted for harvesting, its secrets—and the collapse of modern civilization—are the least of Darien’s worries.
This book had me hooked from the beginning. It started in the midst of the action and filled in back story as needed. Each character is strong, unique, and full of depth. They interact effortlessly and with precision. Each character is integral to the story line. And the story line is unique to say the least.
I was drawn into a world very similar to the world I live in yet so different. It made me want to keep reading to see what else would be the same and what would be different. While Darien is the main character, the reader gets to see the world through other character's eyes. This gives the reader a bigger picture of what is going on in the story line.
The story line has drama, angst, humor, and conflict. All of these are woven together to keep the story line moving and the reader engrossed.
I can't wait for book 2 so I can get back to what is going on with the whole crew!! Definitely a 5/5 stars!!